The European Organization for Packaging and the Environment (EUROPEN) has written to the European Commission (EC), urging reconsideration of the proposal to make packaging a priority area for the application of economic instruments.
UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown and France's President Nicolas Sarkozy suggested the EC address the role VAT might have in combating climate change, and specifically mentioned packaging as a target area.
EUROPEN says it is concerned initiatives to apply multiple layers of charges to packaging could divert attention from more fundamental measures that need to be taken to address climate change.
"Further measures would only add to existing 'stealth taxes' on consumers and distortions of competition within the packaged goods sector," EUROPEN Managing Director Julian Carroll says.
"We consider the idea is flawed because it fails to take into account the fact that the packaged goods sector is meeting the ambitious EU recovery and recycling targets it has been set, and has successfully decoupled waste generation from economic growth.
"The priority should be to avoid under-packaging, rather than to penalise its use."
GRAPHIC PACKAGING REPORTS US$23M LOSS
Graphic Packaging Holding Company has reported a US$23.3m net loss for the first quarter 2008.
For the same period last year the firm reported a net loss of US$38.7m.
Net sales increased approximately 24 percent to US$724.3m during first quarter 2008, compared to first quarter 2007 net sales of US$584.1m.
In March, Graphic and Altivity completed a merger; therefore Q1 results include three weeks of Alitivity results.
When compared to the prior year quarter, net sales in the first quarter of 2008 were positively impacted by approximately US$113m from the inclusion of Altivity results.
US CONCLUDES WEYERHAEUSER ACQUISITION REVIEW
The US Department of Justice says it has concluded its review of International Paper's acquisition of Weyerhaeuser's containerboard packaging and recycling business.
Regulatory reviews in several other countries are ongoing.
Completion of the transaction is expected to occur in the third quarter of 2008.
International Paper announced the proposed acquisition in mid-March.
AHLSTROM AND ZHEJIANG CLOSE VENTURE DISCUSSIONS
Finnish firm Ahlstrom says negotiations with Zhejiang KAN Specialty Material Co to form a joint venture for the production of specialty paper in China have been terminated.
The agreements were signed in September 2007 and the deal was originally expected to be closed during the fourth quarter of 2007.
The conditions precedent for the closing were not met and the subsequent negotiations did not result in any agreement.
HUHTAMAKI QUITS UK RIGID PACKAGING
Consumer goods packaging manufacturer Huhtamaki has announced it will cease production of rigid packaging in the UK due to declining volumes and continued increases in manufacturing and energy costs, affecting 160 jobs.
The decision follows a strategic review of the overall business, announced in January 2008.
The business is loss-making, despite annual sales of €30m.
Costs related to the closures will have a one-off effect of €8m, but will provide an earnings improvement of €3m to €4m annually, Huhtamaki says.
Source: packaging-technology
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